Planning Commission against river-linking project

GUWAHATI: Planning commission of India is not in favour of the ambitious river-linking project. This commission feels that this may result environmental concerns and endanger monsoon.

Dr. Mihir Shah, member of planning commission who was in Guwahati to deliver a lecture on strengthening rural economy across India told ET, "We are not in favour making huge water grids. This can result in environmental concerns and may endanger the monsoon."

He said such gigantic projects which require huge investment is not at all desirable. "Inter connectivity between one or two rivers is alright but we are not at all in favour of mega inter linking projects."

NDA government's proposal of river interlinking met with stiff opposition from several quarters. The Supreme Court cleared the river-linking project. A group of citizens has filed review petition in the Supreme Court.

He said in 12th plan for Northeast India planning commission will address the problem of quality of governance. "See what has happened that there is money allocated for different projects but on several occasions it has not be utilized. There is the need to bridge the gap between the outlay and outcome."

Shah added that for this planning commission will initiate massive capacity building measures." Once capacity of the states are improved than performance of schemes to will improve. Presently Assam is not doing well in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MNREGA)."

He explained that the focus of the 12th plan for the Northeast India is building up pool of human resources. "Communities in Northeast India are strong model of reaching out to people and we will rope in community based institutions to reach out to the rural masses. For a change it will not be a top- down solution."

He added there is urgent need of reform in water sector. There is huge gap between creation of irrigation facility and usage. Shah who is also the secretary of Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS), an NGO said he would start pilot projects for watershed management in Bokakhat and Dergaon of Golaghat district and Teok and Mariani in Jorhat district.

The go-ahead was given by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. SPS with its headquarters at Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh has made visits to several areas in Upper Assam to study the impact of water and livelihood.

Activist P.S. Vijayshankar who is a Member of the National Steering Committee of the Integrated Watershed Development Programme of the Government of India and a Member of the 12th Plan Working Group on Sustainable Groundwater Management, said Assam has abundance of surface and groundwater in the Brahmaputra-Barak Valley basin with a per capita availability of water being 14057 cubic metre, the highest in India. "Only 1 per cent of the surface water has been utilised while 66 per cent is utilisable. As groundwater is concerned, only 3 per cent has been utilised while 35 per cent remains unutilised. This shows that plenty of surface and groundwater are available in the State unlike States like Madhya Pradesh".

Vijayshankar suggested that more areas have to be brought under irrigation to raise productivity. "The total irrigated area is only 21 per cent in Assam which is much less than the national average of 43 per cent."

Vijayshankar said the best way the small and marginal farmers with very low land holding size can benefit is by bringing them into an association/unit. "Assam has a high incidence of small and marginal farmers with land holding of less than two hectares. However, they occupy a total area of 86 per cent of agricultural land. These farmers can become viable if they work together as a unit. The need of the hour is to extend full support to the formation of strong Farmer Producer Organisations".